Dems Take Another Vacation From History

National Reivew Online: Inaction On FISA Represents Irresponsibility Of House Leadership

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.)

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Over a week ago, the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives left town for a ten-day recess without taking action on a vital, bipartisan bill to fix the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). A temporary fix to FISA, the Protect America Act, expired midnight, February 17 - the act allowed intelligence agencies to monitor suspected foreign terrorists’ electronic communications, on foreign soil, without time-consuming court orders.

The corresponding Senate bill passed by a vote of 68-29 and, with 21 Democrats pledging their support, the House bill would easily have passed if Speaker Pelosi permitted it to be brought to a vote. This inaction represents more than just unprecedented irresponsibility by the House leadership - it indicates House Democrats are taking a vacation from history.

Democrats claim that authorities provided under the Protect America Act, even though the act is expired, will allow the government to continue to monitor known foreign terrorists, without bureaucratic obstacles, for up to a year. This is misleading - those authorities will not cover many potential threats, especially new ones. With the Protect America Act expired, detecting and neutralizing many threats will now require burdensome paperwork, government lawyers, and court orders. This bureaucracy will cost precious time, time that could mean the difference in stopping a terrorist plot or saving the life of an American soldier.

Another key part of the bill the Senate passed provided immunity from lawsuits to private companies that allegedly assisted U.S. intelligence agencies in monitoring suspected terrorists’ communications. At the time, the government assured the companies the monitoring was legal, but trial attorneys are suing for billions of dollars - and have contributed more $1.5 million to Democrat coffers.

Without protection from the lawsuits, these companies obviously will be reluctant to cooperate with the government in the future. A similar signal will be sent to intelligence officers on the front lines of the battle with al-Qaeda, many of whom have been forced to take out professional liability insurance to protect them from the actions of the Democratic Congress.

This fits into a broader trend of Democrats’ behavior over the last two decades. “A vacation from history” is a phrase many conservatives have used to describe the national-security policies of the Clinton administration, which operated on the faulty premise that the end of the Cold War meant the end of serious threats to our nation.

As a result, CIA funding and personnel were slashed drastically, putting the agency into what then-director George Tenet claimed was “Chapter 11” by 1997. The CIA downgraded its analysis of terrorism in the 1990s, but it did find the money and personnel for politically correct intelligence efforts such as a “DCI Environmental Center,” which used spy satellites to monitor volcanoes and sea-turtle nests.

The current House leadership has dismissed Republican concerns about the ongoing global threat from radical Jihadists and the need to give U.S. intelligence agencies the tools they need to combat this threat - they accuse Republicans of “fear mongering.” By doing so, the House leadership has chosen to ignore not just the catastrophic post-9/11 attacks in London, Madrid, and Bali, or the two dozen terrorist plots against the United States foiled since 2001, but also more recent history, such as the December 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto and al-Qaeda activity over the last six months in Denmark, Germany, and Algeria.

Meanwhile, politically correct intelligence hasn’t died - in the 2008 Intelligence Authorization bill, House and Senate Democrats directed U.S. intelligence agencies to draft a National Intelligence Assessment on global climate change. House Intelligence Committee staff recently visited CIA for talks on how the agency is analyzing global warming.

There is no greater responsibility for U.S. elected officials than to protect the American people. Leaving for a ten-day vacation without fixing FISA first gambles with our national security. When the House reconvenes this week, our top priority should be passing the Senate FISA bill. History never takes a vacation. Neither do terrorists.

[terrapin78]

When protecting telecoms from lawsuits becomes more important than the actions themselves, one should ask is this really important?

The answer is no, it is not. All other administrations lived within FISA (and it is still in effect) and so too should this mis-Administration.

[r_lamprey]

Accusing others of inappropriate vacations by Rep. Hoekstra is laughable as he tries to defend his inept party boss President Bush who was on one of his many extended vacations when he ignored warnings of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Rep. Hoekstra should explain why he and his Republican allies in Congress have worked to prevent extension or passage of the FISA revisions, unless it included immunity for past unknown law breaking. What criminal activities are the Bush administration trying cover up and needs this telecom immunity to prevent it from being exposed?

[glb1969]

Does anyone believe the lies behind this article? I think not. The author clearly is a fascist, the many lies and ambigiuties in the article clearly label it as propaganda that has no basis in reality.
The author should be impeached for thinking the public is this stupid.

[bluestardad]

WELL IT SEEMS THIS PRO ISRAELI RAG IS A BIT PIFFED AT THE CONGRESS FOR NOT PROVIDING IMUNITY FOR THE TELECOM GANG!

IF YOU FOLLOW THE MONEY U WILL FIND OUT THAT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL TO THE REASON THIS NEOCON EDITORIAL IS SO CRITICAL OF CONGRESS...

THIS BILL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NATIONAL SECURITY!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[itchyb-2009]

"...The presidential vacation-time record holder is the late Ronald Reagan, who tallied 436 days in his two terms. At 418 days, and with 17 months to go in his presidency, Bush is going to beat that easily."

Dated August, 2007.

[afmca]

What pathelic fear mongering by the Repub propaganda machine. They would destroy us to save us. Bush has lied since day 1. It is his lack of accountability that he want to protect; not the lives of Americans. Once the Repubs are out, America will find out just how close we were to a neo-con coup.

[ioweign]

This fits into a broader trend of Democrats'' behavior over the last two decades. "A vacation from history" is a phrase many conservatives have used to describe the national-security policies of the Clinton administration, which operated on the faulty premise that the end of the Cold War meant the end of serious threats to our nation.


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But Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), 9-11-2001 happened on your and Bush''s watch because you and Bush would not "listen" to Richard Clark. No wire tapping spying was required to listen to Clark...

[roger_inkart]

Don''t roll over Dems - these little rightwing weasels are scared and rightly so.

[moddem7483]

First off, the robbing of our first amendment rights is what causes these brood wars, resulting in catastrophes like car bombs, assassinations, 9/11, ad infinitum. Secondly, the Democrats were taking a "Celebratory Rest from Due Service." It takes a thing called a warrant or a court order to partake in lawful engagement, thank you. I get sick of reading columns infected with elephantitis.

[mbcsmith]

You people S U C K so bad, it makes me sick to my stomach. I hope you all have a massive MI tonight.


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Posted by Dogband at 03:16 PM : Feb 25, 2008

Funny, I was thinking the same thing about the LIBS in congress putting this country at risk.

[mcvet]

Hehehehe These Nazi''s are shaking in their boots. They KNOW the fuhrer has violated FEDERAL law and could well end up behind bars IF they can''t bury the evidence. NO judge will allow them to claim "Excutive Privilage" with Company Records. ROFLAMO Sweat you Fascist Pigs, SWEAT!! Sieg Heil Bush

[mcvet]

Funny, I was thinking the same thing about the LIBS in congress putting this country at risk.



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Posted by mbcsmith at 03:24 PM : Feb 25, 2008
+ report abuse

ROFLMAO Oh PLEASE!! EVEN the Justice Department ADMITS there has been NO refusal to co operate nor any loss of Intelligence. Now what other possible reason could the scum bag want to surpress this Info? Hummmm??? Now don''t hurt that small simple little mind of yours. ROFLMAO Honestly folks idiots like this DESERVE to be lied too... to them it''s all about the Party and LIES makes it easy for them. Sieg Heil Bush

[lvdragonlady-2009]

First off, the flippin ''scare'' tactics of the ''scrub'' administration will no longer work. We want our constitution put back where it belongs, at the top of our governments priorities, screw the dumb sh*t.
Second, this taking off from work whenever they want needs to stop, NOW. If you do not work, you DO NOT get paid. Congress should be required to work at least 50 weeks a year, just like everyone else. NO WORK!!! NO PAY!!!

[Razzl]

"burdensome paperwork, government lawyers, and court orders" are the due process of law that protects the rights of all of us. The Bush administration should never have given private companies reason to believe they would be exempt from obeying the law in the handling of their customer''s data. For the NRO to continue to dish out this pro-fascist world view of government''s authority in order to justify the excesses of the Bush autocracy shows they don''t get it that the moment for the politics of fear and authoritarianism are past. The public isn''t buying it, Democrats aren''t buying it, and nothing can will revive a successful politics of fear--not even a new terrorist attack--under Bushes'' leadership. It''s time to move on and practice the politics of reasoning with the electorate and to admit defeat when the public doesn''t accept your world view...

[quatermass2]

It is well past time for the Republican party to stop the reprehensible, indeed, traitorous and criminal fear-mongering and libel. What happened to the "land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE"? These dispicable low-lifes have been threatening extinction from the jihadist in your bedroom closet since 9/12. It is a threadbare political ploy, but FINALLY Congress had called *** on it. Thank goodness.

[mbcsmith]

The director of national intelligence and the director of the CIA have both said this lapse puts the country at unnecessary risk. Typical LIB morons go on vacation before doing the country''s business.

[mbcsmith]

The director of national intelligence and the director of the CIA have both said this lapse puts the country at unnecessary risk. Typical LIB morons go on vacation before doing the country''s business.

[mbcsmith]

oh my god......hold the presses....mbcsmith is at risk!
living is a risk you moron.
You obviously never put yourself at risk by being in the military.
I hope we dont have a country full of cowards who are going to throw away everything all those soldiers in WWII died for.


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Posted by ainttaken at 04:00 PM : Feb 25, 2008


What a ***. The smart ones minimize the risk. Obviously, that isn''t you or the traitorous moron.org crowd and the LIBS in congress. Dog face Pelosi just doesn''t get it.

[secundus2]

Legislation that gets the support of more than 2/3 of the Senate (68 yeas) and is sponsored by Sen. Rockefeller, DEM of W. Va. can''t be voted on in the House? I guess national unity and bi-partisan foreign policy are mere campaign slogans.

The leader of the House won''t bring this bill to a vote for just one reason: it is certain to pass.

That is o.k., provided that she and her like-minded colleagues take responsibility for any adverse consequences. This is why I left the DEMS after 40 years (though I could never become a REP): not a shred of sense about national security.

And, yes, before you even ask, if my own family are calling certain numbers in Peshawar or Quetta or Kandahar, then their phone records need scrutiny and perhaps their conversations need tapping. The "common defense" and the "general welfare" require it, and it would seem to be a "reasonable" search (only "unreasonable" searches are constitutionally forbidden). I may not be thrilled about it, but it seems prudent and necessary.

[irliberal]

I think just about the only thing - in writing - that the NRO has the moral authority to produce is an apology. An apology to their readership for sophistry inherent in nearly every piece they''ve produced over the past seven years. An apology the lies, distortions, half-truths and outright criminal acts that the Republican Party with GW Bush has committed with the NRO''s full and fawning literary support.

Yes, this apology is long overdue. We will never see it of course, but it is important to note that nobody really cares about the NRO anyway. Next!

Bush said he needed this authority to save the country from the boogie man terrorists. When given an extension by the Senate he rejected it. Bush''s Republican Senators filibustered the offered extension because it didn''t include protection for the telecom companies. So in other words... Bush doesn''t care about protecting the American public! Bush only cares about immunity for the telecom companies for their illegal spying of innocent Americans and the cover-up of the Bush administrations illegal spying!

[azurensis-2009]

will now require burdensome paperwork, government lawyers, and court orders

Oh my! How awful that the government will have to OBEY THE FORTH AMENDMENT to the Constitution. Listen up, people. You have much less to fear from terrorists than you do from your own government. Every single step on the way to a police state seems like a perfectly reasonable protection against some nebulous entity that would like to harm you, but there is a reason that certain protections were written into our constitution - to protect you from your government. Wake up and stop falling for the same lines. The telecoms broke the law and *should* have their wallets surgically removed in court for it.

[gkc99]

More shinola from the Nether Republican Orif*ace--the truth is that George Bushit is willing to put the country at risk of terrorist attack, in his own words, to cover the candy a$$es of his executive chums.

Why should corporations that break the law and violate contracts with consumers be immune from legal retribution, just to save the mega-bonuses of some Repug Bushits?

But Bushit and his lackeys could care less about security--for anybody except their select Billionaire elite, that is.

Finally the House has shown some guts and has stood up to the Tiny Texasshole. Keep it up!

[tibu987]

I have a different take on on our freedom in this country.
I do not object to having a national ID card.
I do not object to having my telephone tapped.
I do not object to biometric identification procedures at public places.
I do not object to security procedures at our airports and other public transportation facilites.
What I DO object to is foreign terrorists entering our country and committing atrocities against our citizens.
Sure I lament the loss of those freedoms we once took for granted, but in this new world, our very lives depend on surveillance for our own good.
It is called "reality".

[tibu987]

PS.,.............
I am a Democratic leaning independent voter who has never voted for Bush.

[mcvet]

Sure I lament the loss of those freedoms we once took for granted, but in this new world, our very lives depend on surveillance for our own good.
It is called "reality".


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Posted by tibu987 at 08:41 PM : Feb 25, 2008
+ report abuse

WHY? I must ask you and all the supporters of this insanity WHY, after 7 years do we still need to spy on our OWN people or face an attack? Because we are safer NOW than when the attack happened. Well of course not and why aren''t we safer? Well because the Enemy is still out there planning attacks against us. Well where is that enemy? In he hills of Pakistan. In other words WE must give up our freedoms and let our leader bust our Constitution and violate our laws because HE is to incompetent to go after an catch the enemy. That''s sad... just plain sad. The American People deserve to know their Leader is a crook and has broken the laws of this nation. If they want to change them fine but HE does NOT have a right to break them. Sieg Heil Bush

[mcvet]

What a ***. The smart ones minimize the risk. Obviously, that isn''''t you or the traitorous moron.org crowd and the LIBS in congress. Dog face Pelosi just doesn''''t get it.


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Posted by mbcsmith at 05:04 PM : Feb 25, 2008
+ report abuse

ROFLMAO BECAUSE they won''t bootlick like you? ROFLMAO Right! YOU freaks had better PRAY we can bail your stupid butts out or you will need a lot more than spying to save you? When, after 7 long years YOU still must spy on your own people you are flat getting a butt whoopin sparky! OF that there is no doubt! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[stopkidding]

911, 911, 911 Boo!

[walt1944-2009]

As usual, the neocon Fascist Nazi Republican propoganda machine, the NRO, accuses House Whimpo-crats of taking a "vacation from history" by not acting on the Great Emperor''s spy bill, FISA.

The NRO is using the same talk that the Great Emperor has been using for the past 7 years, that being that without this bill, the evil "terrrrrrorists" will get us all before the Great Emperor gets them! If that argument is true, it is amazing that the Great Emperor has not been able to find Osama Bin Laden (remember him?) with all the spying the Emperor has done on everyone.

The sign of a true dictatorship is when your government devotes more time to spying ON YOU, than it does on spying on the real enemy. It is harder to spy on the enemy than it is to spy on your own people because you can always pass off such activites as "protecting your citizens"! Sounds familiar!

As it is, the Nazi propogandists at the NRO will continue to spout off such garbage until they discover that the Great Emperor has been spying ON THEM!!!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!
sig heil, McCain???

[sharncedar]

What I DO object to is foreign terrorists entering our country and committing atrocities against our citizens.

Posted by tibu987 at 08:41 PM : Feb 25, 2008

OK, idiot, do you object to Bush''s personal friends the Bin Laden entering our country and committing acts of revenge against us for a bungled hit? Exactly how will letting telecoms break the law prevent Bush''s other rich friends from attacking us, idiot? You blathering, worthless idiot, you don''t deserve to live in the United States.

If these terrorists were "foreign", why was Bush holding hands with the Saudi king? Why were the Bin Laden relatives allowed clearance to fly out of the country on 9/12? You worthless moron, you have no right to live in the land of the free, you deserve to live in Nazi germany. We question our leaders in the United States. We give ''em tea parties when they give us lies. If you don''t like it, get the H out. That''s our tradition, our deepest value, freedom, which means lying clowns like Bush and his Saudi friends get dumped in Boston harbor. If you don''t like rebellion against the government, then you don''t like America, because that is the most defining value of our forefathers - the desperate, endless hope to be free.

[vincan-2009]

Bush always uses his fear mongering to keep the House and Senate jumping to his will. This time they called his bluff and did not roll over for him. I am very proud that his trump card fear mongering is finally not working on the democrats in the House. Hopefully it will get through to the Senate democrats that the country is tired of Bush''s propaganda, and we are ready to do the right things for America - not what Bush want.

[cbs_oliver]

The trouble with the Republicans is that they are Psychotic.

God alone knows how many people they have to spy on and how many they have to kill before they finally realize that what they are doing to other people is what is turning everyone against them.

[jwind11]

He has maintained the most secret regime....er...some call administration in the history of this country. He has ignored every subpoena from congress. Yet he has this insatiable urge to find out everything about you.



Posted by ainttaken at 10:39 PM : Feb 25, 2

how do you know other presidents didnt do it to? maybe they kept a better secret? "He has maintained the most secret regime"? you state this like it is fact. there is no way you can back this statement up. so either you are a liar or an idiot.

[jwind11]

God alone knows how many people they have to spy on and how many they have to kill before they finally realize that what they are doing to other people is what is turning everyone against them.

Posted by CBS_Oliver at 10:55 PM : Feb 25, 2008

everyone? thats pretty broad statement...sure you dont want to change that?

[cbs_oliver]

everyone? thats pretty broad statement...sure you dont want to change that?

Posted by jwind11 at 10:59 PM : Feb 25, 2008

Yeah.

OK.

They are turning everyone with any sense against them.

[jwind11]

They are turning everyone with any sense against them.

Posted by CBS_Oliver at 11:01 PM : Feb 25, 2008

yet alot of libs on here bashing mccain already, if republicans in so much trouble, why are libs worried about mccain? should be no brainer that he wont win. my question is who are all you libs going to blame for your pathetic lives 2 years from now?

[jwind11]

among many other analysis, I recommend a book called "Worse Than Watergate" by John Dean, who was not a George Soros soldier but a former counsel to president nixon.
It is simply a fact that the chimp has ignored every request from congress for documents an emails from the Plame case to war oversight to Gonzales politicizing of the justice dept.
It is unquestioning goosesteppers like you, breakwind, that would take this country down the political path of Jim Jones.
You obviously havnt done a shred of reseach other than turn your radio on to one of the biggest liars in history. You havent got the emotional makeup of a junior high schooler and wind is all that is passing between your ears.

Posted by ainttaken at 11:08 PM : Feb 25, 2008

you are saying john dean has info on all the presidents then? interesting....my question was, maybe alot of presidents did it to, they just covered it up better? typical lib answer, posting before thinking

[jwind11]

among many other analysis, I recommend a book called "Worse Than Watergate" by John Dean, who was not a George Soros soldier but a former counsel to president nixon.
It is simply a fact that the chimp has ignored every request from congress for documents an emails from the Plame case to war oversight to Gonzales politicizing of the justice dept.
It is unquestioning goosesteppers like you, breakwind, that would take this country down the political path of Jim Jones.
You obviously havnt done a shred of reseach other than turn your radio on to one of the biggest liars in history. You havent got the emotional makeup of a junior high schooler and wind is all that is passing between your ears.

Posted by ainttaken at 11:08 PM : Feb 25, 2008

amazing only you and john dean have all the info on all the presidents secret activities .... amazing

[jwind11]

You obviously havnt done a shred of reseach other than turn your radio on to one of the biggest liars in history. You havent got the emotional makeup of a junior high schooler and wind is all that is passing between your ears.

Posted by ainttaken at 11:08 PM : Feb 25, 2008


who are you going to be blaming for your pathetic choices in life 2 years from now?

[jwind11]

a libs thoughts" oh my oh my, my life is pathetic, i was born in greatest country in world with the oppurtunity to do what i wanted in life, yet look at me, i am pathetic....but, but not my fault, bush fault, yea thats it, bush fault i made pathetic choices in life....there i feel better....temporarily"

[imnho]

Part of the problem with GWB is that he is asking for a great deal of power after royally blowing his credabilty. He did not listen to Richard Clarke. He did not clue in about AQL''s intentions after reading the presidental daily brief. He has mismanged the GWOT and now he asks for more power. That''s rather arrogant.

At some poit he was quoted as saying ''Don''t talk to me about the constitution.It''s only a piece of paper!" I don''t know if the quote is true, but if it is then the less additional power he gets the better. I hope in 2009 he leaves office without a struggle

[taylpatr]

If it were up to me, I wouldn''t vote on anything Bush tried to introduce for the simple fact that everything he''s done so far has been based on a lie or a twist of reality. The man seems to think that if it comes out of his mouth, we should believe it-totally and blindly, without question. If you don''t, you''re against him! Well, I''m against him!

[bluestardad]

YO **** RAG...
THIS ROLL OVER CONGRESS IS GETTING CLOSE TO ELECTION NOW AIPAC IS GOING TO HAVE TO WORK FOR ITS MONEY~

[juwboy]

Blue Dastard:

About 80% of Jews are registered as DEMOCRATS, so nothing will change.

[bluestardad]

WE SHALL SEE!....

[knyghtwolf]

The ONLY flag waving the GOP is interested in is the one that waves and dispells the flatulance the republicans make every time they make a big stink about having to actually do some meaningful work with their own money they never earned in the first place.

[au_fait]

ainttaken,

maybe you should get your facts correct before spewing things from your mouth. Our local port does have radiation detectors as do many others. Our company did the design for the installation. As for your other facts, the selling of our ports, do you believe that was Bush''s call? The president is not tied to all Big Businesses, corporations make their own choices. The President does support big business as without them many people would not have jobs (although I don''t agree with what our party has done for many of the big businesses).

[azurensis-2009]

"Sure I lament the loss of those freedoms we once took for granted, but in this new world, our very lives depend on surveillance for our own good."

Spoken like a true coward. You spit on the graves of every military man and woman who has died to preserve those freedoms that you so willingly hand over to the government because you are terrified.

[payasyougo]

"The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing."

[andor3]

"`He has maintained the most secret regime`? you state this like it is fact."

It is fact. also one of the most misleading and corporate-influenced. three strikes. GWB has squandered no only the goodwill and reputation of the US, but his own credibility too. When he advocates something, there is no reason anyone should care.